Grannies

Just finished a baby blankie in the VK Grannies book. Designed by Marilyn Losee. This was such fun to do. I used several variegated acrylics I bought here in Holon instead of the plain colors in the pattern. I even have enough left over for a second one. Now I just need to find a baby!
I saw my surgeon last week and also got back the blood test. Both were excellent. The surgeon isn't sure whether I still have the cancer but he thinks it's there only smaller and just wants now to check me again in 4 months.The hormone pill I'm taking is being very successful for me. So once more, I am so lucky. I told a girlfriend about it and she was amazed and told me to "go away". She has had to have chemo and it has spread to other parts of her body. She seems to think th at th e 3 marker tests on the blood test would indicate if there is cancer but I think she is wrong. One can't depend on that.

Cheer wools LYS

I forgot to take a picture of the new store for Cheer wools and they just moved on this visit farther up Hennessey not far from the football fields. I found some NOro yarns but pretty expensive and their selection of Japanese knitting books was slim for 2009. Also they had removed their older European knitting books but on my final visit it looked like they had put some of them out again because they do get a lot of "foreign" visitors. I was asked by one lady who was a tourist from Canada about finding a pattern in English for an afghan and when she told m e she was heading soon to Singapore I told her to wait and go to the Golden dragon which has a great selection of English wools (Sirdar and Rowan) plus Japanese yarns and lots of books and needles. Singapore knitters have told me this is the best LYS in Singapore.

Spring summer handknit collection for women

This is a Diakeito book and the cover shawllette uses the Diallien yarn. Most of the items are crocheted but there is some knitting. NIcest books for 2009 I saw so far so I bought it.

yarn purchases in Hongkong

I was really sticking to my yarn diet this trip but couldn't resist the following yarns left to right: Dialien color 605 from Diakeito. I bought 9 balls and it is probably linen with cotton in a variegated color. This will probably become some kind of crocheted vest or shawl. The next yarn is Diamist lame in color 707. This has some gold and silver colors an d 3 balls should be enough for a narrow summer scarf. Both are Diamond yarns. The third one is Diadomina in color 323 and is a variegated red and pink and other colors. I bought 9 balls which should be enough for a plain raglan pullover. The prices from Filokilo are approx the same with the discount as in Japan. You have to bargain but it also helps to be a good repeat customer. This store often has classes too. They carry some cheaper Italian yarns. None of the stores I've seen in Hongkong carry Chinese yarns although I believe there is a place somewhere in Hongkong. Just haven't found it yet.

another LYS in Hongkong

This Lys is on the same street as Filokilo so worth a visit. They only carry Filatura di crosa (at a nice discount) and some Cleckheaton from Australia. They also have lots of Clover needles. There's another store called Spotlight in Kowloon that I visited this trip with my daughter. They also have lots of Aussie yarns and books and I also found there some of the cheaper Miyuki delica beads plus I bought a pliers for split rings which I hadn't seen anywhere else. Didn't take a picture though.

New style LYS in Hongkong

New style lys in Hongkong has been around for years in one location or another. Always when I go there, I find a class of knitters. The yarns are eclectic being Japanese or Italian and expensive too. I was able to bargain with them last trip and got some nice Noro silk garden. They have moved also nearer now to the Sogo dept store and not far from Tailor and alteration. Both stores are on the main street Hennessey. There are signs to them above the sidewalk so you have to be on the lookout. This one is closer to Sogo than the other one. The store is about the same size as before. The salespeople are pleasant and speak English. they have a good selection of new and old Japanese knitting books and some needles. I usually visit but don't buy.

Tailor and alteration Hongkong LYS

Tailor and Alteration has been in this new location now over 6 months and still is absolutely impossible to find anything. They moved closer to Sogo on the same road but into a much smaller store and now all the knitting books are just piled up one on top of the next. The yarns for knitting are in very narrow aisles and other items like embroidery and sewing seem to have almost disappeared. I visited them on this trip and the earlier one and both times walked out without buying anything. Just impossible.

entrelac in Kersti

This sweater started out as a vest because I only had 10 balls of Koigu Kersti which is a lovely variegated dk weight yarn. But after I reached the end of the front and back I saw that I still had 4 balls so I picked up sts around the armhole and knit down and in fact I still have most of one ball left! So this yarn while pricey is very good on length or something. I got my inspiration from seeing a sweater in entrelac by Hubert from her man's knitting sweater book only there she used a plain yarn for the sleeves. However aside from that, I just used my own specifications for the item because I've made so many entrelacs myself. I generally go by the entrelac pattern in the old Harmony stitch book. This one used 10 sts for one triangle and square. Also, the sweater itself has a wonderfully elastic feeling from the yarn and also I did make a vest before this one in the same yarn but it just completely stretched out after washing. I think the entrelacs should hold the yarn now from doing that.
I got back from a month out in the far east where I saw my great knitting friends out there. Siowchin (little purl of the orient) and Marjorie in Hongkong and Tanti out in Jakarta. The only yarn I bought was at Filokilo in Kowloon because they have always a great selection of Diakeito yarns and I can get also a nice discount from them. This time they were very happy to see me and gave me some yarn catalogs from Diakeito with all the colors and specifications for each of their winter and summer yarns. All in Japanese but still quite understandable. I also took photos of a few of the yarnstores in Hongkong who have relocated. I did buy one Japanese knitting book because I have so many in my collection from several years and I just didn't see anything wildly exciting.